40 days at sea. The longest period any of us ever spent away from land. Almost twice my personal record. And here we are, heading for land. Not what we wanted but not a very difficult choice- looking at the grib file- The weather map- and seeing a storm after storm heading towards where just a couple of days ago we resumed swimming after a few days of bad weather.
This time it’s more than bad weather- it’s a real danger. So, we’re going back, which gives us a chance to repair some technical issues, replace and restock some parts and some food ingredients.
It’s also a good opportunity to enjoy some real sailing and to rest. This is very different from what we have been doing for the last month: Sailing as slow as possible, drifting and then hurrying back, Launching and recovering the dinghy and the kayaks and a swimmer. All the science protocols and swim-related tasks left very little time for resting, not to mention proper maintenance.
Our boat is still strong and healthy, but she needs more care. Moisture and lack of ventilation have left her a bit moldy. Some old leaks and some new ones require sealing and some electronics- wind instruments, heading compass and others need checking and repairing.
it’s never easy to make repairs at sea and boat designers and builders specialize in putting whatever is more likely to break in the hardest to reach spot they could think of. Adding to that 6 months worth of supplies, in boxes, bags or just stuffed where ever- it might just seem like I’m complaining.
Which I’m not, it’s really fun, I hope we get everything sorted and sail back as soon as possible. Maybe manage to surf a bit on typhoon waves.
Captain Yoav
